To preface - the following feedback I provide pertains exclusively to pvp, specifically ranked.
The recommendations I've made serve to both improve the class' survivability and make the ability tree choices more meaningful while staying true to the primary motivation behind these changes - reducing the amount of abilities we have.
Reestablish Range (our fastest speed boost) and Evasive Maneuvers (our strongest face-tank DCD) are anti-synergistic because they're both triggered by Countermeasures, I would recommend tying Evasive Maneuvers to a different ability such as Shield Probe and increasing its coooldown accordingly. Outside of some niche moments in pvp such as trying to safely trigger Life Warden with Evasion, I can't think of any situation where overlapping Shield Probe and Evasion would be as egregious as overlapping Evasion and Countermeasures. I'd prefer not having to mix traditional DCDs like evasion with any ability, I only recommend Shield Probe in this example in order to conform with your desire for pruning.
Make Tactical Retreat baseline and have it increase the duration of Evasive Maneuvers by 2s.
Make Defensive Safeguards and Deployed Shields a part of Ballistic Shield by default.
Reintroduce Flashbang as a choice and make Maim baseline.
Make Vital Regulators baseline for Virulence, Snap Shot baseline for Marksmanship, Ballistic Dampeners baseline for Engineering and instead have the choices in the [60] tier be Evasive Maneuvers/Pillbox Sniper/Calculated Pursuit.
Make Stroke of Genius baseline for Marksmanship to account for the fact that making the 3 aforementioned passives baseline would only provide a defensive bonus to Engineering and Virulence.
Make Ballistic Shield/Reestablish Range/Over-prepared [68], Hololocate/Flashbang/Takedown if Engi, Orbital if not, [73] and Seek Cover/Augmented Shields/Siege Bunker [78] the choices for the last 3 tiers in the ability tree.
There's no assurance that these changes will make sniper over-tuned or lacking in the defensive department - it all depends on how the other classes are also balanced going forward. I think reasonable changes in the event
that sniper is still lacking defensively could include making Vital Regulators/Ballistic Dampeners/Stroke of Genius baseline for all specs, making Ballistic Shield baseline (with Defensive Safeguards and Deployed Shields being rolled into a passive to choose in tier [68]) or making other unmentioned utilities such as Evacuate or Hold your Ground baseline.
Reasonable nerfs, if necessary, could include partitioning some parts of Evasive Maneuvers' effects to other passives/abilities; such as having Imperial Preparation, rather than Evasive Maneuvers, reset the cooldown of Covered Escape.
The biggest point of contention I have with Evasive Maneuvers is that its relative importance in comparison to every other DCD/passive I've listed as choices will pretty much always make Evasive Maneuvers a must pick. In order to make the tier [60] choice competitive, it will be necessary to make some part of the passive baseline with Shield Probe, such as the 5s of 200% ranged/melee defence chance and 75% force/tech damage reduction, and then have Evasive Maneuvers provide the roll heal and reset.
It's worth to note that I haven't considered the possible impact these changes may have in operations or the levelling experience, and my impression of sniper's current viability in pvp is based only on a handful of matches played on the PTS.
Further Comments
As it currently stands on the PTS:
Snipers have no choice but to take Evasion over hardstun and have no access to Flashbang.
Marauders are forced to choose between DCD and mobility for its hard stun and similarly lack access to their mez.
Inquisitors on the other hand get hardstun baseline and only have to choose between their mez and one DCD — severing slash is pretty much worthless and volt rush will be relegated to an even smaller niche in 7.0 than it is currently.
Bounty hunters would have to choose their hardstun at the cost of DCD/mobility while having their other stun baseline.
Operatives have pretty inconsequential passives to give up for their hardstun, and their second choice regarding CC ultimately boils down to flashbang/holotraverse.
It all seems quite arbitrary, I'd appreciate some clarity on the dev team's rationale behind the decisions they've made regarding stuns so that recommendations can be given that are more in line with the current philosophy behind availability of CC.
Personally I think hardstuns should be baseline for every class. With regards to solo ranked, forcing a choice between an important DCD and a hardstun will only increase TTK.
PS: Cover bar is essential for many snipers, I don't understand why it was removed.
